Saturday, February 28, 2009

Places I've Lived: Chapin, SC

Sorry I haven't been blogging lately. I've been working on art or just didn't have much to say. Now, on with the story...I eventually got fed up with the apartment life and had an opportunity to move out into the country so I took it. I moved into a huge mobile home out in Chapin. It had 3 bedrooms so I turned the smallest one into a studio and actually did a little bit of art.Life out in the country had it's own challenges. At one time I was feeding about umpteen million stray cats. I captured a few and took them to the pound but that was a pain so I just stopped putting food out and they disappeared. I guess they found another sucker. Then there was the time we got hit by the freak snow/ice storm. I lost power and the temp in the trailer plummeted. I ended up having to board my cat Trinity at the vet and I spent a couple of nights with friends. Another time, I was home late one afternoon and a young boy knocked on my door. He said he got off the bus after school and no one was home at his house. Well, I had no idea what to do so I watched out for him until his folks got home. I also called the cops about the situation. When his folks got home, I took him there and do you know they didn't even acknowledge my presence. I made my presence known and told them I had called the cops. Boy, they didn't like that. When the cop finally arrived, I was back home fuming. I apprised him of the situation and he told me that there had been calls to that home before. How surprising. Live in the city and you deal with crime and the like. Live in the country and you have to deal with poor white trash. You can't win.Well, life in the country eventually lost it's lustre. The AC quit working and the landlords wouldn't get it fixed. I had to buy a window unit and sleep on the floor in the living room for the last few months I was there. (As you can tell by the above photo it doesn't look like the place has been maintained) I lost my job at the church and, having started dating Sarah, decided to move to Asheville to be close to her. I said goodbye to SC with no tears in my eyes.Next up: Asheville.